Of Brothers and Scarves
by Rabid-Sirius-Fangirl
Summary: How did Sirius and Regulus feel about each other? What happened over time to change these feelings? Not slash, sorry. Rated for safety. I'm terrible at summaries, so please read to find out. DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters.


~ X ~

It was mid May, and an 11 year old boy who had just got back from his first year at Hogwarts sat on his bed, trying and failing to hold back the tears that slid down his almost milky-white skin. He shook his shaggy black hair, and sobbed shakily. He had just received the first of many beatings to come from his father Orin, and it was all because he was sorted into Gryffindor, instead of the customary Slytherin. He was glad. He didn't understand why his family was so hateful to anyone that wasn't like them. He finally stopped crying, and fell into a fitful sleep.

In the next room, a 10 year old Regulus Black was also crying too. He wasn't beaten, but he was crying for Sirius. He looked up to his older brother, and he always had. And when they were younger, they were practically best friends. But Sirius was bold, and Reggie wasn't.

When Sirius was 9 he and Reggie went to the park, where they met a little muggle girl. They played for hours. When their mother, Walburga Black, found out, she was furious. She told both the boys to stop playing with her. Reggie stopped going, Siruis, didn't. The second time he was caught, his mother dragged him home by the ear, and made him go to bed without supper. And for some reason, the next day, there were police cars, and an ambulance outside the girls house the next day. Neither of the boys ever talked about it again, and Sirius never talked to anyone that he considered a friend in her presence.

A few weeks before the school year started again, Sirius was sitting in the back yard, trying to avoid his parents, when Reggie got an idea. He quietly suck into Sirius' room, and stole his Gryffindor scarf from under his bed. He secretly hoped that when school started, and he was a fist year, he would be sorted into Gryffindor too, so he could be just like his big brother.

~ X ~

Sirius and Regulus walked into Platform 9 3/4 together. Sirius was going to be a second year, and Regulus, a first year. They still got along pretty well, and Sirius was hoping that maybe his brother would be like him. He shivered slightly, and wondered where on earth he put his stupid scarf. His thoughts were interrupted though when a tall lanky boy with scruffy hair and glasses practically tackled him. "James!" Sirius yelled, still recovering from the shock his best friend had nearly put him in. A shy looking Remus, with longish sandy brown hair, and a dark secret walked up behind him, followed by a short, stocky, blond haired, blue eyed peter.

"Hey guys," Sirius said, walking away with them onto the train. Regulus was left behind.

After a few minutes of standing in confusion, Regulus made his way, slowly to the train. There he met up with a group of boys wearing green and silver scarves. They invited him to sit by them on the train. And, he did.

Sirius and his group of friends sat together catching up. And it wasn't until about 20 minutes into the ride that he realized he had left Regulus behind. He felt terrible, and was about to go after him, when James pulled out a game of Exploding Snap. _Eh, I'm sure he's fine_, Sirius thought, as he sat down again.

Meanwhile, Reggie was hanging out with all the wrong people.

The train finally got to the school. Regulus, along with his new friends, Crabe, and Goyle, and a few of his cousins, got off the train. He was the only first year, so he separated from the group to go to the boats. A lot of the other first years got nervous when they saw him walking away from a group of Slytherin's, and scampered off to find other people to sit with on the boats. Regulus was stuck sitting with future Slytherins. Once again he was with the wrong group of people.

Sirius, walking to the carriages, saw his brother walking with a group of Slythein prats, and was outraged. How could his little brother actually like them. He sighed angrily as he was stepping onto the carriage. And his mood didn't improve at all when he heard his little brother, and long time best friend get sorted into Slytherin. The moment that hat yelled, "SLYTHERIN" was the moment everything fell apart for Regulus Back.

~ X ~

Over the years, Sirius refused to talk to Regulus if he didn't absolutely have to. He hardly looked at him at school, and when Reggie got on the Quidditch team, Sirius didn't even congratulate him. In fact, he ignored him. School was terrible for Regulus. But, he still had home. All summer, he could spend time with Sirius. They even talked sometimes. Not much, just a few words here and there, but at least it was something. It proved that as much as Sirius disapproved, they could still be brothers, and maybe even friends.

But then came the day when Sirius ran away from home. Regulus stood in his doorway, and watched him pack. He knew it would happen someday, but he didn't want it to be now. He begged Sirius to take him with, but Sirius refused. He grabbed the last of his things, and climbed out his window with the help of some bed sheets tied together. Regulus waited a few minutes, fighting with himself about what to do. Eventually, he also climbed out the window. He was in the middle of the road, when he realized he had no where to go. He couldn't follow his big brother, because the Potters' wouldn't want him. He couldn't go to any family, because they would just bring him back home to his parents. And he didn't really have any real friends he could go to. He sat there in the road. He didn't move till almost morning.

Sirius leaving hurt Regulus even more than being sorted into different houses. And it had a much worse outcome.

Regulus hated that he wasn't with Sirius, he hated that Sirius didn't like him anymore. He hated his parents for making Sirius the way he was. And that hatred was bad. Especially for someone who spent quite a lot of time surrounded by the pure blood maniacs he was surrounded by. Eventually, it ate away at him. He had stopped crying into Sirius' scarf every night. In fact he threw it somewhere in his room, and had no idea where it went. He didn't care.

~ X ~

As the years went by, Regulus started acting more like the other kids in his house. He started going with his "friends" when they walked the corridors to hex unsuspecting muggle borns. He did everything he knew Sirius would hate. And he did it because all he wanted was Sirius' attention. He wanted his brother to notice him again, even if it wasn't in a good way.

In his 6th year of school, he realized that more than a few people in his house had signed up to be a deatheaters. And they finally persuaded him to join too. Over the Christmas break, he got the Dark Mark tattooed on his forearm. He put on a brave face all that day, but that night, he cried. He didn't want to do it, but he didn't think he had another choice. He knew they wouldn't let him say no. Not without serious consequences. So, he put a bandage on his arm, lengthened the sleeves on his robes, and went back to school.

Finally, Sirius had graduated. He stood there in the Great Hall waiting for James to get done hugging all his family. In the crowd, he saw his parents. They weren't there for him, but probably, one of his cousins. He didn't care which one was graduating. Regulus was walking in his direction. Sirius froze, and they stood there facing each other for a moment. "Goodbye" said Regulus, as he reached up to move his hand through his hair. Sirius almost gave his brother a hug, but then he noticed it. The sleeve on Regulus' robe fell down slightly, uncovering the Dark Mark. Sirius glared at him, and then in a close to breaking voice, Sirius said, "You're just as bad as them," he broke stopped glaring at Regulus to point to their parents.

Those words broke Regulus' heart. And he realized he didn't want to do this. Even if it killed him.

~ X ~

A few years later, Regulus stood in the cave where the Dark Lord had hidden something valueable to him. Regulus didn't know what it was exactly, but he knew he had to destroy it. He pulled out Sirius' old scarf that he found a few months ago. It was dirty and worn, but it still reminded him of his brother. As Kreatcher forced him to drink the potion, he held onto that scarf. And as Kreatcher apparated away, leaving him to his doom, he still clung to that scarf. As the inferius dragged him into the water, his last words were, "I'm better than them Sirius. You made me better than them" And suddenly, his head was submerged, and he had taken he was no more.

In his cell in Azkaban, Sirius sat reading the Daily Prophet. He never really read much of it, just watched the pictures. He was about to throw it out the window, when he noticed a picture of his brother. He quickly read the article. It said that Regulus went out for a hike, and never came back. He was now pronounced dead. Sirius assumed it had to do with Voldemort. He sighed, and let out a quivering breath. He walked over to his bed, and pulled out Regulus' old Slytherin scarf from under his pillow. He squeezed it lightly, and sighed, "Eh, I'm sure he's fine." But the longer he sat there on the bed, holding the scarf, more and more tears fell, and he found his words harder and harder to believe.


End file.
